Bears franchise history

9/17/20 George Halas, representing the Decatur Staleys, meets with representatives of 12 other clubs at Ralph Hay's Hupmobile showroom in Canton, Ohio, forming the American Professional Football Association -- which later became the NFL. Membership is set at $100.

1921Decatur Staleys become Chicago Staleys, play in Wrigley Field, and win the APFA title with 9-1-1 record. A. E. Staley gives Halas the club with $5,000 to keep the Staleys name for the year. Halas makes Dutch Sternaman his partner.

1/28/22Franchise renamed Chicago Bears.

11/22/25Harold "Red" Grange signs with Bears.

1930After a 4-8-2 1929 season, George Halas replaces himself as head coach with Ralph Jones. Jones posts a 24-10-7 record during his three seasons.

12/18/32 Bronko Nagurski hits Red Grange with a two-yard TD pass and the Bears top the Portsmouth Spartans 9-0 for the NFL championship. The game was played before 11,198 indoors at Chicago Stadium on an 80-yard field.

1933George Halas returns as head coach and takes club out of town for training camp for the first time. University of Notre Dame is the host.

12/17/33Bears use rookie Jack Manders' accurate kicking for 11 points and defeat the Giants 23-21 in the NFL's first championship game.

8/31/34A classic is born as 79,432 watch the NFL champion Bears held to a scoreless tie by the first College All-Star team in a game sponsored by Chicago Tribune Charities at Soldier Field.

12/9/34Undefeated Bears slip before Giants in NFL title tilt at Polo Grounds 30-13 before 35,059. With Chicago leading 10-3 at the half, NY dons basketball sneakers and scores 27 points.

12/12/37Bears win Western Division title but lose NFL Championship 28-21 to Redskins at Wrigley Field. Sammy Baugh hits 18 of 33 for 335 yards and three TDs. Jack Manders scores 15 of the Bears points. A Chicago player's share is $127.78.

12/8/40George Halas surprises the Washington Redskins with his "T" formation offense in the NFL Championship game. The strategy proves more than effective as the Bears rout the Redskins 73-0 before 36,034 fans in Washington D.C. The gameplan signals the beginning of pro football's modern era. Each player receives $873.

12/14/41Bears and Packers agree their playoff game should be played to a 'sudden death' finish in event of tie. NFL adopts plan 1/24/42.

12/26/43The Bears blast Washington 41-21 in Wrigley Field for the NFL title before 34,320 fans. Sid Luckman throws five TD passes (2 each to Harry Clark and Dante Magnani). Bronko Nagurski scores his last Bear TD, a 3-yard run.

12/15/46With George Halas back from serving in the Navy, the Bears whip the Giants 24-14 before a record NFL title crowd of 58,346 in the Polo Grounds. After opening with a 21-yard TD pass to Ken Kavanaugh, Sid Luckman gets the winning score on a 19-yard bootleg.

12/11/49Johnny Lujack sets NFL passing record with 468 yards against the Cardinals.

12/29/63The Bears intercept New York Giants quarterback Y.A. Title five times and win the NFL championship. The team's 14-10 victory was played before 45,801 fans on a bone-chilling afternoon at Wrigley Field. Bill Wade scored both touchdowns on two- and one-yard runs. Each player earns $5,899.

1964Flanker Johnny Morris catches NFL record 93 passes.

1965Bears set standard for draft by selecting LB Dick Butkus and RB Gale Sayers in first round. Sayers bursts into pro football with an NFL record 22 TDs.

12/12/65Gale Sayers scores six TDs against 49ers.

5/27/68The all-time winningest coach in football history, George Halas, retires from coaching after 40 seasons with 324 wins, 151 losses and 31 ties.

6/16/70Bears running back Brian Piccolo dies of cancer. Club establishes Piccolo Fund, raising almost $2 million for cancer research.

12/13/70The Bears close out an era with a bang when they play their final game in Wrigley Field. The Monsters of the Midway trounced the Green Bay Packers 35-17. The Bears leave Wrigley Field with a all-time record of 221-89-22. The 332 games is the most ever played by one team in a home stadium in NFL history.

9/19/71The Bears open at Soldier Field by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-15.

11/20/77En route to leading the NFL in rushing with a Bear record 1,852 yards on the season, Walter Payton dashes through the Vikings for a NFL record 275 yards. Bears win 10-7 at Soldier Field.

12/18/77A 28-yard FG by Bob Thomas with :09 left in overtime gives Bears a 12-9 win over the Giants, a 9-5 record, a six-game win streak, and their first playoff spot in 14 years.

12/26/77Bears finish season with 37-7 playoff loss at Dallas, but set 28 team records and play before a home record 401,513 fans in seven Soldier Field dates.

9/3/79Bears occupy $1.6 million new headquarters named Halas Hall on Lake Forest College campus.

12/16/79Massive heart attack claims George 'Mugs' Halas at 54. Bears route St. Louis 42-6 and Dallas tips Washington 35-34. The combination sends 10-6 Bears to the playoffs, where they lose at Philadelphia, 27-17.

12/7/80Bears whip Packers 61-7 at Soldier Field, equaling club record for points and setting records for first downs (33) and completion percentage (83.3%, 20 of 24). Vince Evans throws for 316-most by a Bear in 10 years.

1985Bears win first 12 games of season en route to posting 15-1 regular season mark, tying the most regular season wins by a team in NFL history. Chicago claims second straight NFC Central title as club record nine players are selected to Pro Bowl.

1/5/86Bears host first playoff game since 1963 and shutout New York Giants, 21-0.

1/12/86Bears blank Los Angeles Rams, 24-0, in NFC Championship game at Soldier Field and advance to Super Bowl XX.

1/26/86The Chicago Bears return to dominance as the shuffle over the NFC on their way to a 46-10 Super Bowl XX victory over the New England Patriots. The Bears set seven Super Bowl records, including most points (46) and largest margin of victory (36). The game was witnessed by record-setting number of viewers via television worldwide. The next day team was greeted by an estimated 500,000 people in a ticket tape parade in downtown Chicago.

12/20/87Walter Payton plays final regular season game at Soldier Field (rushes for 79 yards and 2 TDs). "Walter Payton Day" is celebrated prior to game as club president Michael McCaskey retires jersey number 34.

1987Bears win fourth consecutive division title with 11-4 mark in strike interrupted season. Team posts four straight winning seasons, a feat last accomplished by Bears between 1946-51. Redskins come back from 14-0 deficit to beat Bears 21-17 in playoffs.

1988Bears post 12-4 record (tied for best in NFL) and advance to NFC Championship game before losing to eventual Super Bowl Champion San Francisco. Bears finish five-year period (1984-88) with 62 wins-most by any NFL team ever in such a span.

2/4/99Ted Phillips is promoted to President and CEO, becoming the fourth in team history.

11/1/99Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton dies at the age of 45. The Bears name the Halas Hall indoor facility in his honor the following off-season.

6/12/01Jerry Angelo named first Bears general manager since the 1986 season

2001Bears win NFC Central title in the final year of the division's existence. The Bears, Packers, Lions and Vikings will move into the NFC North with the addition of the League's 32nd team, the Houston Texans. The Bears finished the 2001 season with a 13-3 mark and reached the playoffs for the first time since 1994, losing to Philadelphia 31-19 in the final game at Soldier Field

2002The Bears opened a new training camp home for the first time in 18 years, moving from Platteville, Wis., to the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill., just 60 miles south of Chicago. The Bears also played each of their 10 home games at Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign while the new stadium at Soldier Field was being constructed.

9/29/03The Bears make their debut in the new Soldier Field against the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football, dropping a 38-23 decision to the Packers

10/26/03The Bears defeat the Detroit Lions 24-16 at Soldier Field to become the first team in the NFL to win 650 games.

12/29/03Dick Jauron's coaching tenure ends after five seasons and a 35-46 record.

1/15/04Lovie Smith is hired as the 13th head coach in club history.

2005Bears won NFC North championship with 11-5 record, lost to Carolina 29-21 in playoffs.

2006Bears won NFC North championship with 13-3 record, defeated Seattle and New Orleans to advance to Super Bowl XLI, where they lost to Indianapolis, 29-17.

2010Bears won NFC North championship, defeated Seattle in playoffs, lost to Green Bay 21-14 in NFC title game..